Cartridge-loader



(No Model.)

- J. L O SGOOD. Galfsrlge Loader.

Patented Aug. 24,1880..

Brien.,

JOHN LESTER OSGOOD, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

CARTRIDGE-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,445, dated August 24, 1880. .Application filed April 7, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that l, J. Lns'rnn Oscoop, of New Britain, in the county ot' Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Loading Cartridges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cartridge-loading machines in which a shellholding device is used in conjunction with feeding, measuring, and compressing devices; and the objects of my invention are, first, to so feed the powder to the measuring devices that a uniform quantity will be measured no matter whether there is a small or large quantity in the hopper; second, to afford facilities for the proper adjustment of the measuring device without changing the position of the delivery-chute; third, to iirmly support the shell while the powder is compressed within it; and, fourth, to provide a cheap, compact, and convenient machine for filling and relilling shells. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 Figure l is a side elevation, partly in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the measuring devices. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the conductor or feeding-tube on line m x of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section,

`showing the shell in position for filling; and

Fig. 5 is a vert-ical section, showing the operation of the compressing devices.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughont the several views 5 but Figs. l and 5 are on a scale only half the size of that employed in the other figures.

A designates a base or platform, upon which is mounted a standard or upright, B. At the top of said standard there is a powder -receptacle, C, having a flaring or hopper-shaped bottom, from which a feeding-tube or conductor, a, extends downward. Toward the lower end of this tube a there is a doublegated and spring-actuated lever, b, or measuring device quite similarin its general character to those ordinarily used upon shot and powder flasks. It differs therefrom, however, by reason of its adjustability, as hereinafter described.

I have found, in practice, that if the whole weight of the powder in the receptacle is allowed to press downward upon the measuring device it compresses the powder, being measured so that a greater quantity would be measured at one time when the receptacle was full, or nearly so, than would be the case when there was only a small quantity in the receptacle. In order to prevent such a result and to measure each Lcharge definitely, so that a uniform quantity will be always measured with great accuracy, no matter whether the receptacle is nearly full or otherwise, I place within the conductor a two steps or shelves, c c, the same being circular pieces of a size to fit and iill the conductor, but with a notch or opening cutout upon one side, and these are arranged with the notches upon opposite sides of the tube or-conductor a, as shown in Fig. 2. The great bulk of the'pressure of the powder is arrested by the flat upper side of the upper step, while still enough powder passes through the notch of said step to feed properly, which powder is, in turn, arrested by the second or lower step, and then fed into the measuring device without any pressure from the powder in the receptacle.

Immediately below the lower step there is a cut-off, d, the same being a circular piece provided with a notch upon one side and a handle, e, for turning it within the tube, so that itmay register with the notch in the lower step, and thereby open and close the passage through the conductor a. As this cut-off is not only immediately below the lowerstep, but alsoimmediately above the upper gate of the measuring device, it will be seen that the supply may be cut oft' at any time, and leave only the proper amount below said cut-off to till the measuring device.

Upon the base there is another upright, E, to which is attached a shell-holder anda compressing device, the former consisting of suitable spring-clamps fj', into or between which the shell D is placed to hold itin proper position for lling and pressing. I also provide a simple take-off, g, which engages the projecting rim of the shell D and holds it down. This take-off may be of any desired form, and its operation is similar to a take-off as ordinarily employed in connect-ion with a punch in a power-press. In the present instance it con- IOO sists of two simple pins passed through the upright E, one upon each. side of the shellholder and just above the rim of the shell. The inner ends of these pins are such a distance apart that the body of the shell may be readily slipped between them, with the rim under their ends, while they are so near to-I gether that when the piston (he'reinatterdescribed) is withdrawn from the shell their ends will catch upon the rim and prevent the shell from being lifted orcraisedwiththe piston,the

same as a plate, or the scrap is pulled off from a punch in its ascent after action.

rlhe compressing device is somewhat similar to a double-acting press. To the upper end of the upright E a lever, F, is hung, to which va two-faced cam, G, is attached, or more properly, perhaps, two cams. This upright E is hollow, and within it is a hollow guard, h., the bore through which is of a size that will just fit and embrace the outside of the shell. This guard is compressed by the cam and lever G F, and is elevated by a spring, 7c. Inside of this guard is a follower or piston, r, the lower end of which is of a size that will just fit and fill the inside ofthe shell. Its upper end iills'the hole or bore through the guard, and itis held in place by a pin which enters a longitudinal slot in the side of said piston in such manner as to allow a certain extent of independent movement. After repeated tiring shells expand at the mouth, and if desired the guard, whose mouth is tapering, may be made small enough to contract orcrimp the shell at the same time that the powder is compressed within it.

A hinged or` pivoted chute, H, leads from the lower end ot' the conductor a to the shell iu the holder, as shown in Fig. 1. A spring, m, bears upon said chute witha constant tendency to press its lower end against the lower end of the guard h.

A third upright is also placed upon the base A, and in its upper end is a horizontal shaft, to which an arm u is rigidly attached, said arm being so placed as to come under the lever F upon the rear side of the upright E. Another arm, o, is also secured to the same shaft, and comes in contact with the upright I, to act as a stop to limit the motion ofthe lever F and arm a. Upon the opposite side ot' the upright I, and secured to the same shaft, there is a lever, q, the upper end of which bears against the upper end of the doublegated lever b.

The operation is as follows: The shell to be filled or refilled is slipped into the holder, after which the lever F, if not already in the position shown in Fig. 1, is brought into that position and then depressed, thereby depressing the arm u and forcing the lever g forward to operate the lever b of the measuring device,

so that its upper gate is closed and its lower one opened. vThe powder then runs through the chute H into the shell D. The lever F is then brought forward, when the greatest projection of the cam Gr forces the guard down to embrace the shell. The hinged feature of the chute now comes into action and allows the lower end thereof to be pressed one side out of the way of the guard, and whenthe guard -is again raised the spring m returns the chute to its former position.

As the guard descends the gravity of the follower or piston r within theguard causes them (the guard and follower) at iirst to move downwardtogether until the piston reaches the powder in the shell and is stopped in its downward course, and the guard moves on without it until said guard reaches the-posi 'tionrepresented in Fig. 5, after which the portion ofthe cam G which acts upon the upper end of the guard is concentric, and the guard remains stationary during the farther forward movement of thelever. The guard when thus depressed embraces the upper end of the shell and holds it lirmly in place. rIhe middle portion of the cam G then acts upon the upper end of the piston and drives it into the shell as the lever moves forward and is stopped at a definite point, thereby compressing the powder to a uniform and deiinite depth.

In Fig. 5 the parts are represented with the piston butslightly depressed within the .shell but upon further movement of the lever F it will be depressed until its lower end is in the same plane as the lower end of the guard h. The lever F is next t-hrown backward into the position represented in Fig. 1, when the filled shell is removed and another one inserted, and the operation before described repeated.

Although the device may be used for delinite -work without any adjustability o f the measuring device, it is desirable for general use to so adjust the device as to measure any desired quantity within certain limits; and, further, it is desirable to make said adjustment without any disturbance of the chute H. I therefore make the tube ein three parts, 1, 2, and 3. rlhe parts 1 and 3 are of thelargest diameter and both ofthe same size, while the part2 is of smaller diameter and is telescoped at each end into the parts 1 and 3. By the side of these parts and in suitable arms there is an adiustingscrew, 4, provided with set-nuts or collars, and so mounted in said armsthat it may be revolved without affecting any endwise movement or other change in position of the parts l and 3.

The arm which extends from and is secured to the part 2 is provided with a female screw, which fits that of the screw 4, while the other arms through which said screw passes are not threaded, from which it will be seen that turning the screw 4 will raise and lower the part 2 of the tube a.

The upper gate of the lever b and the hinge or fulcrum of said lever are connected to the part 1, while the lower end and gate of said lever are connected to the part 2. This lower end of the lever b is made extensible by having one part enter a socket, 5, bearing a set IOO IOS

IIO

screw, 6. When this set-screw is loosened the part 2 may be adjusted to bring the'lower gate a greateror less distance from the upper gate, so as to measure the desired quantity. The set-screw 6 may then be tightened and the device will operate the sa-me as if the lever b were a solid one and in the manner before described.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of thefollowing elements, viz: irst, the receptacle C; second, the measuring device 5 third, the tubular conductor a., extending from the receptacle to the measuring device; and, fourth, two or more steps or shelves located within the tubular conductor upon opposite sides, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the double-gated and extensible lever b 5 6, the stationary parts l and 3 of the tubular conductor a, the movable part 2 of said conductor, located between the parts l an d 3, and mechanism for adjusting the part 2 while the parts l and 3 upon each end thereof are stationary, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the double-gated and extensible lever ZJ 5 (5 the stationarv )arts 1 and 3 of the conductor a, the adjusting-screw 4, mounted on parts l and 3 so as to rotate, but not to move longitudinally, in its bearing and the movable part 2 of the conductor, iocated between the parts 1 and 3, and having a-threaded arm or lug, through which the threaded part ot' the adjusting-screw passes, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination ot' a shell-holder for receiving and retaining a shell in position for filling, the chute H, leading to the shell in the holder, and the feeding and measuring device, having the stationary tubular part 3 at its lower end, with the chute connected thereto, and the movable tube 2, adapted to slide vertically to adjust the capacity ofthe measuring device without disturbing the relation of the part 3 and chute H to the shell-holder and shell, substantially as described, and for the purpose specitied.

5. The combination of the upright E the hollow guard h, titted to move longitudinally therein, the spring 7c, the piston 1^,tteld to slide within the guard, but limited in its longitudinal movement, and the cam Gr, hun g upon n single pivot, but having two distinct operating-surfaces for acting upon the upper ends ot` the guard and piston, respectively, substantially as described, and for the purpose specitied.

6. The combination of the shell-holder for receiving and retaining the shell in position, the hollow guard h, for embracing the upper end of the shell, the piston 1^, for entering the shell and compressing the powder therein, and the cam-leverG F, for acting upon said guard and piston, in the manner and for the purpose speciiied, substantially as set forth.

7. The combina-tion of the hollow guard it, for embracing the upper end of the shell, the piston i', for compressing the poWderWithin the shell, the cam-lever G F, for acting upon said guard and piston, the feeding and measuring devices, and suitable connecting mechanism between the lever F and the feeding and measuring device, whereby the latter and the guard and piston maybe all operated through the same lever by a iorward-and-backward movement, substantially as described, and for the purpose specied.

J. LESTER OSGOOD. Witnesses:

JAMEs SHEPARD, JOHN EDWARDS, J r. 

